New Hope
by ShiTiger
Summary: A yuri Asako x Mayuko fic.  On a girls' day out, Asako finds out Mayuko's secret and reveals one of her own.  Sweet romantic fluff.


Disclaimer: I do not own Ushio and Tora. This is a yuri Asako x Mayuko fic. Mostly fluff. Suggestions of yaoi.

(Updated style for easier reading)

New Hope

'Asako!' the feminine voice of her best friend summoned the dark haired girl from her thoughts.

'Mayuko-chan,' the tomboy answered in return, eyes focused on the cheery female running towards her. Light brownish red hair straight hair flowing past her shoulders, loving smile adorning her lips. Asako sighed under her breath as she watched her friend stop in front of her, white skirt brushing her knees.

'Are you ready to go?' the younger one asked, smiling gently at her darker haired friend.

Asako nodded, casting a half glance back at her parent's restaurant before shrugging her shoulders. The sun beat down on them softly from the cloudy sky, the spring wind blowing around them.

'It's nice of your parents to let you have a day off,' Mayuko mused aloud, one hand clutching her bagstrap over her shoulder.

'Yeah, after dad tried to set me up with Ushio-baka again. I swear, even for him, he doesn't get it at all. I wouldn't even get along with Ushio if he wasn't a friend from way back,' Asako grumbled half to herself, still annoyed at her father's usual comments.

'He just wants you to be happy, that's all. Besides, I don't think you act all that much like a boy, even if you do tend to dress in jeans all the time and get into fights. Ushio's a boy and you're always beating him up,' the other girl laughed at the image.

'Ushio may be a boy, but he sure is a pain at times. I can't believe he kept it a secret from me for so long. I can't believe YOU didn't tell me, ' Asako glared at the girl next to her who just sweat-dropped in return.

'He was worried about what you'd do if you found out that he was a demon hunter. Besides, you did beat him up when you found out, and in front of Tora-kun too,' Mayuko sighed.

'He deserved it. And besides, Tora needed a good laugh. That fuzzy tiger monster probably gets smacked around a lot with Ushio handling the Beast Spear. Not that he doesn't deserve it most of the time, I'm sure, with his antics. They do make a funny pair, don't they?' Asako laughed. The other female nodded with a smile. It was true, the boy and beast had a very strange relationship.

'Mayuko, why didn't you ever tell me about Tora? Now that I know, it seems like you weren't afraid of him at all. Bringing him hamburgers all the time. Do you have a crush on old fuzz face or something?' Asako crossed her hands behind her head and glanced to the side. The lighter skinned girl blushed gently and mumbled something under her breath, eyes focused on the ground.

'What was that?' Asako asked, staring at her longtime friend.

'I said, Tora isn't the one I have a crush on,' she whispered, eyes darting away.

'Ushio?' the other girl commented, wishing... hoping... that it wasn't him.

'No,' Mayuko's shocked answer came as a surprise, light brown eyes meeting dark ones.

'Who?' Asako's breath hitched in her throat, the world seemed frozen around them where they stood alone on the sidewalk.

'You,' the younger girl's voice whispered softly, their eyes still holding one another captive. The silence surrounded them, broken only by gentle breathing. Then, the other girl laughed. It was a pleasant sound, one of relief and true happiness.

'Asako,' Mayuko spoke lightly, staring at her friend now bent over, arms wrapped around her waist, the laughter coming out between sharp gasps of air.

'I'm... sorry, Mayuko,' Asako finally managed to speak, straightening with a large smile on her face. Shoulder-length black hair tussled from the wind, dark eyes speaking of hidden truths.

'Are you mad?' Mayuko wondered aloud, her face strangely pale in the sunlight.

'Why would I be mad? It's not everyday that a cute girl tells me she has a crush on me,' Asako answered, wrapping an arm around the shorter girl's shoulders and drawing her closer. Mayuko stared up into dark eyes that smiled down at her.

'Why haven't you ever told me before?' Asako wanted to know.

'Because... I thought you and Ushio... well...' the other girl wasn't sure how to answer.

'I already told you, we're just friends. Boys don't interest me at all. They're too violent and annoying and pigheaded. Well... Ushio is anyway,' Asako chuckled to herself at the reminder of her stubborn male friend.

'I just assumed that you two would one day get married, that's why I didn't say anything. You're parents expect you to be with him,' Mayuko exclaimed softly.

'I don't care. It's my life, not their's. I'll be with whomever I love... and I love you, Mayuko-chan,' the tomboy whispered. Light eyes danced up at her in amazement, then tenderness. The taller girl curled her newfound love closer in her arms, thanking the gods for this chance. After a few moments, they parted, staring at each other with new eyes. A delicate hand reached out, taking the older girl's soft, yet workscrubbed hand and clasping them together softly. Smiling, they continued on their way, anxious to spend the day together.

'So... do you think Ushio and Tora are going to fall in love, 'Mayuko asked.

Asako laughed gently before answering. 'You never know. It could happen. They're both stubborn enough for it. A boy and his tiger monster. That would certainly prove that love is boundless and free.' Asako stared up at the sunlit sky for a moment before Mayuko's soft voice brought her back to the present.

'Neither race nor gender nor age can break true love,' the whisper twirled around them on the wind as they stepped towards the future with joined hands.

Author's Note: These two make a cute couple. Asako the tomboy and Mayuko, the more feminine of the pair. I hope everyone enjoyed the fic, no flames please.


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